homebridge-dahua-vto

Homebridge plugin for Dahua VTO door stations (Amcrest-compatible CGI).

| | | |---|---| | Tested | DHI-VTO2211G-WP | | Expected | VTO1201G and similar models with the same HTTP CGI / RTSP API |

Built as a dynamic platform with Homebridge UI settings (config.schema.json), aimed at Verified By Homebridge requirements.

Features

• Live camera (H.264 via ffmpeg)
• Doorbell button notifications
• Motion sensor
• Door lock / unlock (accessControl.cgi)
• Two-way audio (audio.cgi G.711A, Scrypted Amcrest-style)
• Card access and exit button contact sensors (from CGI events)
• Optional HomeKit Secure Video (HKSV, off by default)
• Debug logging for testing other models and filing issues
• Auto device identity from VTO: vendor (getVendor), model & serial (getSystemInfo), firmware (getSoftwareVersion)

Requirements

• Homebridge ^1.8 / ^2
• Node.js 20 / 22 / 24 (LTS: 22 & 24 for verification)
• ffmpeg with libfdk_aac for talkback — recommended: ffmpeg-for-homebridge
• LAN access to the VTO (HTTP CGI + RTSP)

Install

Homebridge UI → Plugins → search dahua-vto → Install, or:

npm install -g homebridge-dahua-vto

Restart Homebridge, then configure the platform in the UI (or config.json). The plugin stays idle until a door station is configured.

Config example

{
  "platforms": [
    {
      "platform": "DahuaVTO",
      "name": "Dahua VTO",
      "debug": false,
      "cameras": [
        {
          "name": "Front Door",
          "host": "192.168.1.30",
          "username": "admin",
          "password": "YOUR_PASSWORD",
          "doorChannel": 1,
          "unlockSeconds": 5,
          "twoWayAudio": true,
          "hksv": false,
          "ffmpegPath": "/usr/local/bin/ffmpeg"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Options

| Field | Default | Notes | |---|---|---| | debug | false | Platform-wide verbose CGI/stream logs (also per-camera debug) | | rtspUrl | auto | Full RTSP URL override | | rtspSubtype | 0 | Main/sub stream if rtspUrl not set | | ssl | false | HTTPS for CGI | | ffmpegPath | ffmpeg | Path to ffmpeg-for-homebridge | | twoWayAudio | true | Mic in Home → VTO speaker | | hksv | false | Enable after live view/talkback work | | accessoryId | name | Stable HomeKit UUID seed — do not change after pairing | | motionTimeoutMs | 10000 | Auto-clear motion | | enableMotionDetect | true | Auto-enable VTO MotionDetect via CGI at start | | cardSensor | true | Contact «Card Access» on card/fob | | exitSensor | true | Contact «Exit Button» | | exitAlarmIndex | 3 | AlarmLocal index for exit (VTO2111D/2211G) | | sensorPulseMs | 3000 | How long contact stays “open” | | manufacturer | auto | Override; empty = getVendor from VTO | | model | auto | Override; empty = deviceType from VTO | | serialNumber | auto | Override; empty = serial from getSystemInfo | | firmware | auto | Override; empty = real version from getSoftwareVersion |

If Home still shows the VTO IP as serial after update, remove the cached accessory in Homebridge UI and re-pair (HomeKit caches serial at pairing time).

Supported models

CGI API is shared across many Dahua / Amcrest door stations.

| Model | Status | |---|---| | DHI-VTO2211G-WP | Tested | | VTO1201G and similar | Expected to work (same CGI) | | Other VTO / Amcrest intercoms | Likely — enable Debug and open an issue if something fails |

Testing another model

1. Set "debug": true on the platform (or on the camera entry).
2. Restart Homebridge, ring the button, open live view, try unlock / talkback.
3. Copy the Homebridge log lines tagged [DEBUG] (especially Unhandled CGI event / Event …).
4. Open a GitHub issue with: model name, firmware if known, and the debug log.

Troubleshooting

| Symptom | Fix | |---|---| | ECONNREFUSED on event stream | host must be the VTO IP, not the Homebridge host | | No talkback / garbled audio | Use ffmpeg-for-homebridge (libfdk_aac); keep twoWayAudio: true | | No doorbell on another model | Enable debug, ring button, file an issue with CGI event codes | | Walk-by motion / HKSV never records | Keep enableMotionDetect: true (default). Or enable Motion/SMD in VTO UI. With debug=true look for VideoMotion / SmartMotionHuman. | | Duplicate accessories after rename | Set fixed accessoryId; remove stale accessories in UI |

License

MIT